Homologation and inspection of spray drones in Switzerland

Abstract

Drone technology has made great progresses in recent years. Unmanned multicopters can follow a predetermined flight route very accurately and offer very interesting potential for plant protection in steep slopes of vineyards. Under such conditions, they can replace a lot of manual work and are a promising alternative to applications by helicopters. As no drones are homologated for spraying in Europe so far, standardized procedures are needed to fill this gap. In Switzerland a first type of drone has been homologated. This drone now underlies the same regulations as standard orchard sprayers. As drift measurements have proven a low drift potential of this technique, drones offer an interesting potential for the application of plant protection products.